Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has come a long way since her days on the teen soap Dawson's Creek—the actress was nominated for an Oscar for her lead role in My Week With Marilyn. Whether she decides to channel her character and go the blonde bombshell route for the Oscars is anyone's guess, but based on her previous red carpet looks, like this red Valentino number she wore to last month's SAG Awards, we predict she will keep it demure-yet-chic with a column or sheath gown, very likely one with sleeves.

Berenice Bejo

All eyes will be on Best Actor nominee Berenice Bejo for her role in The Artist. Her recent awards show looks have nearly reached perfection with a mixture of modern flapper minis, softly flowing gowns, and slinky beaded columns.

Jenny Packham

Borrowing a bit from each of her previous looks, this Jenny Packham Fall 2012 design is applauded for its supple glamour mingled between the cinch-waisted underlayer and tulle overlay dotted with crystal clusters. In white, navy, slate, emerald, or any other hue Bejo fancies, we think this gown offers the right combo of flare and sophistication befitting a new arrival to the Oscars scene. And with stars like Kate Middleton and Angelina Jolie also sporting Jenny Packham for big appearances, Bejo would join some seriously good company, Best Supporting Actress win or not.

Glenn Close

The role for which Glenn Close has earned a Best Actress nomination this year is about as unglamorous as they come. To inhabit Albert Nobbs—an Englishwoman posing as a man in 19th-century Ireland—Close stripped away any trace of the elegant, blond-tressed woman who's graced the Oscars for nearly three decades. But if Close wants to finally land her long-overdue Academy Award, we suggest she turn up the glamour this year to maximum drama.

Vera Wang

Taken from the most dramatic bridal runway of the Fall 2012 season, Vera Wang's nude-and-black lace ball gown falls neatly into the actress' strapless-silhouette comfort zone, while offering an evolution to her standard red carpet style. We often see Close in solidly dark gowns, but a punch of detail, like lace appliques mingled beneath layers of tulle, would boost her look from understated to undervalued.

Jessica Chastain

Although she's a relative newcomer to the awards show circuit, Jessica Chastain, who played Celia Foote in The Help, has already defined her red carpet style with clean lines, trendy color choices, and unexpected details. Any one of those elements alone could make an Oscar-worthy gown, but together they'd assure the actress a top spot on best dressed lists.

Douglas Hannant

Recast from white into a rich jewel tone (emerald, perhaps?), this Douglas Hannant gown would set Chastain apart from the other Best Supporting Actress contenders, swathing her petite frame in a sleek column with one dramatically exaggerated sleeve. And because it's the Academy Awards we're talking about here, the gown also features a trail of metallic embellishments along the neckline—so no extra bling required!

Melissa McCarthy

Actress Melissa McCarthy is getting some well deserved attention for her laugh-out-loud role in this year's break-out comedy Bridesmaids, so much so that she is an Oscar contender for Best Supporting Actress. The fashion police will be in undoubtedly be in full force, hawking the hits and misses of the night, so finding the perfect dress to flaunt her curvy shape is paramount.

Pronovias

For the Golden Globes, VH1 Critics Choice Awards, and last year's Emmy's, McCarthy walked the red carpet in floor-length gowns with long sleeves. Assuming she will stick to that winning formula, we could see her in a gown like this Pronovias lace dress that exudes femininity and will compliment her full figure. Plus, we'd love to see her a little more dolled up than she was for the Golden Globes—more than 40 million people will be watching after all.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is no stranger to the awards shows and this year was nominated for Best Actress for her role in The Iron Lady. While we thought her shirt dress by Alessandra Rich at this year's Golden Globes was a bit of a miss, we loved this white Chris March gown she wore to the 2010 Oscars.

Viola Davis

While Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer both delivered memorable performances in The Help for which they've received much-deserved attention, it was Viola Davis's cathartic embodiment of a black maid in the Civil-Rights-era South that rooted the film and rightfully earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. And Davis has proven herself more than just a star on the screen, having flashed her fashion sense in the lead-up to Sunday's ceremony with striking colors, high slits, and asymmetrical details.

Monique Lhuillier

To celebrate her second Oscar nod (the first she earned for her performance in 2008's Doubt), we'd like to see Voila Davis refine her scope to a contemporary take on a classic silhouette, like this flowing Monique Lhuillier gown. With a fuss-free skirt and glittering crisscross halter straps, the design offers Davis an age-appropriate style with a dose understated impact. After all, when you're sharing a category with The Streep, it's best not to overcompensate with anything mistaken as garish. Meryl would never do that.

Rooney Mara

Since becoming the girl with the dragon tattoo, Rooney Mara has transformed from an unknown ingenue into one of the most talked about stars on the red carpet thanks to her nominations for Best Actress for her role in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sheer panels, dramatic cutouts, heavy embellishment have been details Mara has favored since her sudden introduction to the award show circuit.

Elizabeth Fillmore

With streams of sequins and beads that flow down the bodice and disappear into jagged tiers of tulle, this Elizabeth Fillmore gown rises to match Mara's air of mysterious glamour. Paired together at the Oscars, we think this actress-and-gown combo could even beat an iron lady.

Octavia Spencer

Rising star Octavia Spencer stole America's heart this year when she played a Southern maid named Minny Jackson in The Help. The Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress has favored flowing fabrics like chiffon and tulle for recent red carpet appearances.

Tadashi Shoji

Japanese designer Tadashi Shoji is Octavia Spencer's favorite designer, so this gown from his Fall 2012 bridal collection felt quite fitting for the star on Sunday night. The taupe color complements her gorgeous skin tone while the cap sleeves give her full figure a little coverage.